March 6, 2001 WASHINGTON (AP) - Women who take the popular prescription blood thinner Coumadin should consult a doctor before using certain over-the-counter yeast infection medicines, the government warned Monday.
The problem: The blood thinner can interact with the antifungal drug miconazole found in some nonprescription vaginal creams and suppositories to cause bleeding, the Food and Drug Administration said.
Miconazole is found in Monistat and about 10 other generic vaginal creams and suppositories, the FDA said. It advised consumers to check ingredient lists; some other yeast-infection treatments don't contain miconazole.
Coumadin is a prescription-only blood thinner also sold under the generic name warfarin.
The FDA issued the consumer warning and told makers of miconazole-containing vaginal treatments to put a new warning on the products after learning of women who suffered nosebleeds, bleeding gums and bruising from the drug interaction.
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
